Berserk Book One: Aria
by eclipsedgunslinger
Summary: A mysterious and hardened warrior known as The Black Swordsman, is on a search for information on a group of demonic all-powerful beings known as The God Hand. Novelization of The Black Swordsman arc in Berserk.


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BERSERK BOOK ONE:

 **ARIA**

 **Chapter One**

 **The Black Swordsman**

 _In this world, is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least it is true that man has no control; even over his own will._

 **1**

The sound of cannon fire ringed through the final moments of night air.

In the kingdom known as Midland, the sun began to rise. It was bright, beautiful, and to some it washed over a feeling of pure relief. That feeling hit certain people a lot more than others, especially during times like these. The land had felt a strange shift over time, the aura seeming to become darker, everything seeming to be unleashed once the sun went down, covering people with the shadows. Many men seemed to go blind with madness, at almost a drop an instant. More and more dead bodies were being found in the early dawn, torn to shreds, looking completely cannibalized. It was only when the sun completely filled the sky, that people felt any sense of safety anymore. But almost being able to do nothing but remain tense during the haunting rays dawning above them, just knowing that once that light disappeared, so would many minds.

The city of Koka was swimming with this tension, the feeling could be felt between each passing shoulder. In the middle of it, walked a swordsman dressed in black.

 **2**

Koka was a city that had many secrets hidden within, ones that people were never meant to know, or see with their own two eyes. You could almost feel it just by looking at it, the castle in the center seemed to always be dripped in shadows.

It wasn't the most pleasant place, although it didn't seem common to find anywhere with pleasantness anymore. Many gangs filled the streets, harassing people left and right. There had been rumors of a leader of them all, but no one had ever seen the man. Nor did they ever want too. If one mad man could control what felt like a hundred and rising, then that was someone that probably the strongest chains in hell couldn't keep a hold of.

Some men if they heard such a thing, would simply chuckle, and shake their head. Thinking the people of Koka a fool.

Puck, was one of them. But in his eyes, he found it completely understandable, as he tried to tear the rope off of his neck. He let out a high pitched cry as he barely flew out of the way of a knife, hearing it sink deep into the wooden pole behind him.

A large, ugly man known as Igor stood not far away, starring the elf down. He slammed his meaty fist into the table next to him, cracking it.

"Damn" He drunkenly shouted, a bit of spit spilling out of his lips. "Stop squirmin' around! How'm I supposed to hit you?"

' _YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TOO'_ the elf thought in an almost annoyance, but at the moment knowing it not the best thing to say. Nothing he had said so far had stopped any of the past four large hunting knives stuck in the wood behind him to be thrown at his head. The drunk bear of a man turned back to his gang, grabbing another large pint of Kokas best beer, and chugging it down.

Around the town tavern, people muttered to themselves at the commotion, but knew much better than to actually try and help the poor elf.. One man sitting near the door of the tavern says it best, " Not even the lord mayor can lay a hand on the men of Koka Castle. Best not to get involved", it was what a swordsman heard as he walked inside. Staring at the drunken mess going on in the center.

The swordsman in black made his way over to the bartender, a gold coin in between his fingers. He placed it down on the table in front of him, and when the bartender asked him what it was he wanted, the man simply replied with "I'm just going to mess up your shop a bit.". He ignored the mixed look of alarm, but also already acceptance on the bartender's face, as he reached into cloak, wrapping his fingers around the handle of his crossbow.

"Bring it on, Fathead!" it had turned out Puck hadn't completely learned his lesson, "Why doncha untie me, I'll GNAW RIGHT THROUGH YOUR ARTERIES!" His teeth wrapped around a piece of the rope holding him, biting down hard onto it. Something flashed in Igor's eyes, and he slammed his finished pint back onto the table, raising up a fifth hunting knife. It didn't take long for the once tough as nails Puck to collapse back to his begging state.

"I'm going to stuff those words right back down your thro-" was what Igor was drooling out, before the arrow bolt met it's destination in his right temple, the force making his body hit the wooden pole next to him, the end of the bolt sinking into the wood. He was dead. His body still standing, stuck against the wood. It was almost humorous.

"Bastard! Who the hell!?" The men of Koka Castle started to draw their swords, but were simply met with more bolts. The brutal sympathy of skulls being cracked and impaled filled the tavern, men falling down left and right, until there was only one left. His hands held out his sword, looking over the bodies of his fellow men, his hands started to shake.

He looked forward to match the single eyed gaze of the Black Swordsman. He towered over him, reaching down to what was a metal arm, reloading an attached crossbow, starring the remaining Koka man down like a wolf looking at his prey. The man quickly tried to run, but at the simple turn of his head, he was met with a crossbow bolt through the bridge of his nose. Screaming in agony, collapsing, clutching his face. But within moments, he felt himself being ripped back to his feet as the swordsman pulled him up, had wrapped around the end of his bolt, still deep through his nose. He felt tears start to pour down his face, mixing with the blood, his nose was burning in complete agony.

"You're one of those thugs from Koka Castle, aren't you?" The Black Swordsman's voice came out deep, booming. The thug could only look at him in terror, fumbling over his words, blood between his teeth. Within seconds, his head was forced onto the table, and he let out a scream as he could feel his bone start to crack even more from the force. "Answer me." the swordsman simply said, not changing expression. Remaining cold, his eyes dark.

"Yes… Sir..."

"All right, then I suppose you can deliver a message to your master for me." In the back, a body weakly stood up, a bolt through his side, but alive. He reached down, picking up a sword. "The Black Swordsman has come." the floor behind him creaked "That's all."

And with that, he reached behind him at speed that seemed too quick for his size, and clutch the handle of a blade that somehow had yet to be noticed. He pulled it up, and the whole tavern seemed to go silent at once, the blade was about six feet long, five times thicker than any other normal blade, at least one that should even be able to be wielded by a man. The second thug could only let out the first syllable of a cry, before the iron crushed down onto him, his body being completely torn into two, his top half being sent flying across the tavern, sending blood to paint the walls, and then the thing called a sword hit the solid rock below, crushing it slightly.

But, as the stunned people of the tavern silently thought to themselves, it was much too big to be called a sword. Massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough.

Indeed, it was like a heap of raw iron.

The Black Swordsman lifted the blade back up, with what seemed like completely with ease, attaching it back onto his back. He turned to face the lone surviving thug, who was now nothing but a pathetic trembling bleeding sobbing mess on the tavern table, and gave him a quick cold stare..

"Make sure you tell him."

And with that, the Black Swordsman ventured out

 **3**

Like everyone else, Puck had been stunned still. Never before had he seen someone with such strength. He felt terror in the pit of his stomach, but at the same time curiosity. The swordsman had looked terrifying, but for some reason he saved him from the bandits. He couldn't be all bad, could he?

But just as quick as the swordsman had entered the tavern, he had vanished. "Wait a second!" Puck shouted after the man, only to be simply ignored, the door slamming behind him. Puck looked back down at the rope around his neck, and sighed.

After someone had finally cut him loose, Puck flew through the city, searching for the swordsman in black. Flying down a alleyway, he caught him walking in the shadows of the city. He had looked almost invisible in the darkness, Puck felt like he would've missed him if not for a slight shine from the slab of iron on his back.

"Listen, if you're gonna save someone, you don't just leave'em tied up like that!" Puck flew up to the swordsman, "You're supposed to follow it through to the end, y'know!" He stared at the large handle of the iron on his back, he still couldn't understand how this man seemed to be able to carry it without any effort. "Say that's quite a sword you got there." The image of the man's body in the bar being crushed in two appeared in his mind again, "Or should I call it a slab?"

Silence filled the dusk as the Black Swordsman simply continued walking.

Puck blinked a couple times, waiting for a response. "Oh yeah! I'm Puck, nice to meetcha!" he said almost sarcastically towards the swordsman's silence.

They continued walking down the alley. Different men and women looking through their windows, fearful of the large threatening man with the eye of a beast.

"You see," Puck started "I was in a troupe of traveling performers but we were attacked by those bums. Since then I've been locked in a bird cage, it's a wonder I'm still alive. That's for sure!" He sighed "The town has also been attacked numerous times recently, but the lord mayor seemed to have made a deal with the thugs. Apparently in exchange for tribute, they promised they'd leave the town alone. But I guess after what you've done, they'll start attacking again."

The Black Swordsman kept staring forward.

 _Man, this guy sure is the silent type_ Puck thought.

"You know, if I were you I'd get out of town fast. If they catch you, they'll cut you to pieces for what you did." Puck went to sit on the man's shoulder, when he was almost instantly swatted by a strong hand, sending him flying forwards with a loud yelp. He clutched his back, feeling like if he could, it would already have a large bruise from the force.

"Hey, that hurt!" Puck shouted, he flew in front of the swordsman, starring him in the face. "What the hell did you do that for?"

The Black Swordsman stopped his steps for but a moment. "Don't touch me." The words slipped through his lips, filled with icy venom. "I'll squash you." and with that he continued forwards.

"Wha-" Puck watched as the swordsman simply walked past him, he felt like the words he said should've filled him with fear, but he could just feel his rage build up more "What is with you!" he shouted "A person shows you a little concern, and you respond with that stuck-up attitude of yours!"

The swordsman stopped once again, and Puck smirked, thinking perhaps his words finally got to him. That was until he looked ahead, seeing nothing but a wall of guards, weapons pointing forwards, towards the black swordsman.

Once he got his wings working again, Puck quickly flew back into the darkness

"Damn" The Black Swordsman hissed.

 **4**

In the pitch black, all the Black Swordsman could do was hear the dripping of his blood fall onto the cold concrete floor. It came from the six thin but deep slashes that were across his chest, the swordsman had his head lowered, his eye closed. His wrists raw, arms tired from the chains holding him up in the darkness.

"Yer a stubborn bastard. Y'know that." the swordsman could hear the disgusting voice in the darkness, before feeling the bottom of his chin being hit by the end of his torturers whip. He winced in pain slightly. "Ain'ca even gonna make a little noise?"

The Black Swordsman spit in his face.

"You…" He raised the whip once more "Bastard!", and then the door opened up behind him, letting in the first site of light the swordsman had seen in hours.

"That's enough for now." The mayor shouted from the doorway with his guards, staring at the bloody mess that had been created. He walked forwards, the tourtour nervously backing away. The mayor looked at the table to the side of the room, it was covered with multiple weapons, it was crazy to imagine just one man could carry so much. "That stockpile of weapons, it belongs to this man?"

"Yes, Lord Mayor." The tourtour replied "Enough weapons to start his own war, crazy bastard."

The old mayor looked up at the swordsman. From the scars covering his tall strong frame, to the missing eye and arm, it had looked like this man had already faced many wars himself. "You!" he said "Are you a mercenary?"

The Black Swordsman simply stared him down, mouth non moving. A trickle of blood slid down from a gash on his right cheek.

"A complete stranger to these parts…" The mayor's voice was trembling slightly "You've done a terrible thing. Do you have any idea what you've done?! Because you murdered those men…" He was shouting now "This town may very well be destroyed!"

The Black Swordsman raised an eyebrow "Are you telling me that those guards standing there are scarecrows?"

A guard grinned his teeth, and pulled out his blade, ready to charge forwards. The mayor snapped at him to stay back.

"You have no idea how horrible he is… The ruler of those men…" The mayor of Koka started to shiver, flashes of sharp teeth, and scales started to fill his mind. "He… That thing... It's something horrible and incomprehensible. A creature from the very depths of the pit…" He could remember the shining eyes of the monster, glowing in the darkness, looking into what felt like his very soul. "No one can kill him. At least not anyone human."

"I see. So that's why you made your dirty deal with him." The mayor snapped out of his nightmarish daydream, looking up at the now slightly smirking swordsman.

He quickly reached up, clutching the man's face tightly in his hand. "How could you understand!" He screamed at the swordsman, "a wandering vagrant like yourself…"

"I understand." The Black Swordsman whispered. The mayor slowly loosened his grip and lowered his hand from his jaw. "I know all about it. How he's a monster that eats human flesh." Something flashed in his eye, something that seemed more than blinding rage "I know it very well" he hissed out.

The room remained silent.

"And I know that you continue to provide him with his meals." The mayor's eyes widened, "I passed them at the gates of the city." The swordsman was smiling now "A prison full of women and children."

Many beads of sweat rolled down the mayor's forehead, his eyes wide almost with madness "I… I am the mayor!" He belted "It is my duty to protect this town!"

The Black Swordsman let out a scoff. "Protect this town? Don't you mean protect yourself?"

The mayor suddenly let out a pained scream, clutching his chest, falling to his shaking knees. The guards ran over to him in a panic, and the Black Swordsman started to quietly laugh.

"Do it." The mayor rasped out, his whole body shaking. He had never known he could feel so much rage at once. "Torture him as much as you like, I don't care."

A smile started to grow on the torturers lips.

"But don't kill him!" The mayor was getting louder now, his voice sounding more mad. He slowly got to his feet, starring the swordsman down. "We still have to hand him over to Koka castle, alive!"

The Black Swordsman's laugh came to a sudden stop, as the torturer pushed a burning red pole against his chest. He grit his teeth as he could feel his flesh cook under the fiery heat. The mayor slowly made his way out of the room with his guards, limping.

"Prepare my carriage immediately…" He whispered to his guards. " I'd best go to Koka castle myself, and beg for forgiveness."

He left, closing the door behind him. Allowing the Black Swordsman's mind to fall back into darkness and silence.

 **5**

"The Black Swordsman you say?"

"Yes Baron."

In Koka castle, the lone survivor of the bandits was giving his message. He was back at his master, fulfilling the wish of the man that would forever be in his nightmares, the swordsman in black.

"His sword was so big it towered over him, and it split Dean in half with just one stroke." He had never seen such strength in his life, no one should be able to even wield such a blade, let alone swing it with such ease. "He dressed all in black and had a false arm made of iron…"

The leader, the Baron, sat at his table cutting into meat on his plate. He smiled as he was told about the swordsman, his razor sharp teeth clinking together, before ripping apart the piece of meat he raised to his lips.

 _Could it be…_

 _Him?_

The door behind them opened up, guards bursting in, in a hurry.

"My lord!"

"What is it?"

"That wretch, the mayor, is waiting at the castle gate. He requests an audience with you about the recent incident."

The Baron took a sip from his wine glass. "I see."

Still trembling, the mayor walked in behind his guards, looking at the Baron in slight terror. "It's been awhile, Mayor." The Baron said "How good of you to come."

The mayor gulped down a knot in his throat, trying ot make his voice understandable. "Y-Your lordship. I have come to ask for your forgiveness for this recent transgression." The Baron looked back down at his plate, once again cutting into his meat. "This was the act of a vagrant who is unfamiliar with our ways. There is no connection to any of the town folks." Sweat was still dripping down his body, the mayor was almost afraid he would run out of water in his body. "I'll give you double the amount of prisoners and gold from now on! So please…"

"You look troubled."

"Eh?"

The Baron raised his fork, a piece of meat hanging from the end, and pointed it at the mayor. "Unlike before, you're now worried about losing your own life, aren't you?" His eyes seemed to glow in the shadows, they matched the mayors eyes. "Aren't you?" a bit louder now.

And with that he flicked his finger forwards on his fork, causing the meat to slip off with a sickening fleshy sound, and fly across the room, in the mayor's trembling hands. He looked down at the bit of food, only to realize he was holding a cooked slimy human hear. He let out a scream, throwing the ear forwards, falling backwards and landing on his backside. It took everything he had not to let the contents of his stomach cover the floor.

The Baron stood up, his razor teeth shining in the dark.

"Gold… Prisoners… I don't care about such things." He made his way over to the other side of the room, towards a throne holding a gigantic suit of armor. "All I wish to see are humans within a fiery apocalypse. Trying to escape." His hand reached out, his fingernails were like hooked like claws, they alone were almost as sharp as his teeth. They gently tapped at his armor, running across the scales. "All I wish to hear is the sound of snapping bones crushed under the hooves of horses."

He turned his eyes back to the mayor, his eyes were glowing a bright sickening yellow. "I don't even need an excuse." He hissed, a long snake like tongue licked his lips. "None at all…"

The mayor felt like he was about to pass out, his heart pounding in his chest, so loud and hard he was wondering if anyone else in the room could hear it. It was then that he felt the guards grab him by both his arms, and started to pull him towards the door.

"Wh-What are you doing?" He gasped "Let go of me!"

He turned back to the Baron, his eyes still glowing in the darkness. "My lord!" The mayor yelled. "M-My lord!"

The mayor was taken through the castle doors, and screamed to deaf ears into the deadly night.


End file.
